Harbaugh on Alex Smith as the 49ers’ starting QB–symbolically and probably only temporarily even at that

You might read Jim Harbaugh’s words differently, but I was there, and asking questions, and everything he said continued to point to Colin Kaepernick as the 49ers’ starting QB on Sunday and into the future.

Yes, even Harbaugh saying the words “Alex Smith is our starting quarterback.” That’s the weird world of the 49ers, because I happen to think those words especially mean that Kaepernick is the starter.

Why say Smith is the starter and then say that you won’t name the starter until Wednesday?

Because Harbaugh finally was getting around to giving a nod to Smith’s accomplishments and gracious behavior, because Harbaugh didn’t like Troy Aikman’s generally pro-Alex commentary during yesterday’s broadcast…

And because Smith’s “starting” status is now mostly symbolic. You say it when it’s mostly not true, because you want to boost him up a little before the Wednesday announcement of Kaepernick.

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That’s my read. You might read it differently.

To the transcript. done by me and several of us who attended the presser…

—-JIM HARBAUGH presser transcript/

-Opening statement: Good to be back and a lot of positives from this game; like we thought watching the game live, one of the hardest-hitting games of the season, both teams. Proud of our guys in so many different areas.

We’re ready to analyze it with them and move forward and see if we can’t get a little bit better. But really proud of the win and the way our guys competed.

-Q: Any update on injuries from yesterday–particularly Kyle Williams?

-HARBAUGH: We’ll see. We haven’t got the final report and we’d wait ’til we get that before we brief Kyle and some of the others.

It was a hard-hitting game. It took a toll.

-Q: Did Kyle get hurt without contact? It looked like his foot got stuck and that’s how it happened, is that how it looked to you?

-HARBAUGH: Yeah, it sure did. It appears that way, appears that way, before contact was made. Foot in the ground, injury.

-Q: Are you going to announce your QB for Sunday? Or will you decide that later this week?

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-HARBAUGH: Won’t today. Won’t today. As you know, it’s a players day off. Continue to consider it and wouldn’t announce anything before we had a chance to talk to our players.

-Q: What goes into this decision? Is it based on practices, is it based on the opponent? Is it a week-to-week thing or maybe is about to be permanent?

-HARBAUGH: Fair question. I think it starts with this week, this game, what gives our team the best chance to win this game, like it would at any position.

Further, fair question to ask, what goes into it? And my answer is this: Alex Smith is our starting quarterback. He has not done anything to lose that job. In fact, he’s playing at a very high level.

Also Colin Kaepernick, you can’t categorize him as a back-up quarterback, because he’s started games and played very well in those games.

So in a unique situation, you have two quarterbacks that are playing at a very high level. One’s your captain, your starting quarterback. The other has played great football the last three football games.

Both have a hot hand. So it’s unique. It’s not unique to football, it’s not even unique to our team. We have Frank and Kendall, last year you had Parys and Aldon.

It’s not unique there–that’s shared. That is a shared… this season the quarterback position has been shared. And at the end of the season, you look back on it, say, that was shared.

So I think the thing that’s best for us, we’ve got two good guys.

-Q: With that position specifically, do you need to make a call–this is our guy, like you did with Alex at the beginning of last year?

-HARBAUGH: Well, they’re both our guys.

Q: Your starter. The guy who will start and finish the game and play all the important snaps.

-HARBAUGH: Yeah, and it takes before that. It takes place during the week, as you determine who gets the majority of the reps. You want the guy who’s going to start the game and play the majority of the game to get the majority of those practice reps.

So it’s not so much determined in practice–like, ‘hey, it’s an open competition out there on Wednesday’–because you kind of have to go a direction and to make sure that guy, that quarterback’s going to get the majority of the reps.

The other situation I think that will probably be different than last week is we will say who that quarterback is probably Wednesday. And the biggest reason is so our players aren’t all pressured to, ‘who is it?’ Everybody hammering them for the information.

I think in my mind that’s the direction we’ll go.

-Q: You mention getting better. After watching the tape of yesterday’s game in what ways do you think Colin is getting better? Or did he?

-HARBAUGH: Well, first and foremost, just great in terms of his personal development and for our team to play in a really hostile environment in New Orleans. It was loud-loud there.

Against a team that was fighting for their playoff lives, just like we’re fighting for our playoff lives, and both teams just poured their guts out in that football game, a real road playoff atmosphere.

I thought that… the improvement was there just that he was there, you know? Just that he was even playing in that game was big for him and for our team. And acquitted himself very well.

-Q: You gave him an A-plus-plus last time, how about this one?

-HARBAUGH: Winning effort in a very, very tough environment. I thought he made some outstanding plays, as did so many guys on our team.

That gives me an opening really to talk a little bit about Ahmad Brooks and the play that he made – the catch to start with, and to finish it with the run. He just looked like he exploded off of that.

The pressure that we got on the quarterback of New Orleans. Heard some statistics, and only a handful of times has he been sacked five times in a game. Everybody, Ray McDonald getting pushed, Justin Smith getting pushed, Aldon, Ahmad, again the two inside linebackers played extremely well.

How do you know if you’re a good defense? You tackle. How do you know if you’re ready to play in a game? You tackle. This game, like the Bears game, there might have been a missed tackle, there might have been two. Haven’t gone all the way through it.

In the Bears game, there was one missed tackle. Also, there were no missed tackles that allowed yards after the catch. Every time we had a chance to combat a receiver after he caught the ball, there were no yards after the catch.

That’s huge, especially when you’re talking about a guy like Darren Sproles having the ball, not to mention Colston and the others and Graham. It wasn’t always picture perfect. Donte Whitner gets Sproles down in the open field, it almsot looked like he was going to be able to squirm loose from it but Donte found a way to get him on the ground.

You saw Aldon make the play in the boundry where he flipped him over the top of him and just stayed with him, contorted his body and made a tremendous play. Goldson, Whitner again, excellent tackling. Really pleased with that.

Offensively, thought there were some things we could improve on. We took some big yardage chunks off our side of the ledger with callst that were made, not just the penalty yards but the play that resolved from them.

But no drive bigger than the one to get the field goal toward the end of the game. Nine and a half minutes, 16 or 15 play drive, when you need it most. Awesome, big drive in the third quarter, and a really good drive to put the first points on the board. And a clean drive when you’re not making penalties or mistakes, really showed what our offense can do.

-Q: You mentioned that Alex hasn’t done anything to lose this job. How understanding are you of his situation – 13-3 last year, wins a playoff game, 7-2 this season, gets hurt and then doesn’t start. How much of your feelings go to him in this situation?

-HARBAUGH: The position you’re in, I understand that part, the position you’re in.

The guys will be hammered. You go to Colin, you go to Alex. ‘Should you be the starter?’ He’s got no good answer for you.

He says, ‘Yes, I should be the starter’– we’re talking either one – and you look like you’re just building up yourself. If you say no, then they hammer you because you don’t think you should be the starter.

Then the people, so-called subject matter experts, who talk about, ‘You should be making a fuss about it or a stink about it, you shouldn’t be that accommodating,’ it sends a completely wrong message, to me, for young athletes out there, or high school quarterbacks, where their coach is trying to tell them it’s about the team and all of us working together.

So that one gets me upset. That’s not what our two guys are about. They’re great team guys, great example guys, and we need them both.

The other thing I don’t relate to is the situation they’re in, because they’re both playing extremely well. Not to delve back into my own personal history, but anytime there was ‘Who’s going to start at quarterback this week,’ my experience has been both guys were struggling, myself and somebody else were struggling at the time.

It was like, ‘Who’s struggling less? And we’ll start them this week.’ This is a unique situation, to my own experience, because both have played extremely well.

-Q: Aldon Smith is six sacks from tying Strahan from the alltime record. How cognizant of you are that and how much do you want to see him get there?

-HARBAUGH: You’re happy anytime a guy has success. The thing that really gets you excited is when you’re talking about the history of the game, or the history of the franchise. That’s something accomplished by very few people, or very few units.

So you’re happy for Aldon, our defensive unit, that team effort those men have done on that side of the ball. It’s really a team thing. If you were to break it down to its fundamental core, it’s a team thing where you can have that kind of success. But proud as heck for Aldon. Let’s keep on truckin’.

-Q: [Follow-up question on Aldon Smith chasing the record.]

-HARBAUGH: You’re talking about a team record, and effort, and it doesn’t need to be compared with anything that happened in previous years, or with previous great players.

You’re talking about great players who accomplished great things. It’s great to be mentioned with that, but I think I can speak for Aldon for a minute: Statistics aren’t what motivate him, it’s winning games.

-Q: You referenced your personal history earlier. How did you handle that “Who’s going to start this week?” question, and if you were in Alex’s shoes – playing well – would you have handled this as gracefully as he has?

-HARBAUGH: He’s a class act all the way – team player, that’s why he has been voted captain by our players.

I don’t personally like delving back into my past, or comparing it to these situations.

-Q: You brought it up.

-HARBAUGH: One reference doesn’t mean I want to peel away the layers of the onion going back to childhood… I think we covered that quarterback ground as thoroughly as we can at this point.

-Q: Have you made up your mind yet (regarding starting QB)? How much of this is weighing on your mind every day?

-HARBAUGH: That’s something that, again, we do as a team. There’s accords and consensus. I talk to our coaches and watch and re-watch the tape and think it through.

-Q: Is there some unfinished business with Rams due to the way the last St. Louis game finished?

-HARBAUGH: Really have a whole new light on ‘unfinished business.’ I think of all this as new business.

-Q: What is the new business this week with the Rams?

-HARBAUGH: The new business is this game, this most important game because it’s our next game. I just have really hard focus on that. It’s not about unfinished business, it’s about new business.

New business: Getting prepared to travel well, prepared to practice well and prepared to go there and do what it takes to be victorious.

-Q: Were there any possible packages for Alex on Sunday or was it all Kaepernick once he started?

-HARBAUGH: Anything is always a possibility and wouldn’t talk about what we would have done, what we would do…

-Q: But was there something generally?

-HARBAUGH: Yeah. Everything is a possibility.

-Q: Was the decision to have Brandon Jacobs healthy based on Will Tukafu’s injury or a schematic decision?

-HARBAUGH: From a schematic standpoint.

-Q: Has he shown in practice he’s ready when called upon?

-HARBAUGH: I think you saw him in the game, he had two carries, one where he really worked his way for a three- or four-yard first down and we had a penalty on that play as well.

Yeah, he’s been doing some good things and showing some good things, yeah.

-Q: Is Alex Smith’s health not an issue anymore? Is that fully resolved?

-HARBAUGH: I feel good about that. Yeah, I feel good about that now.

-Q: Given the injuries, is there a good chance A.J. Jenkins and LaMichael James see some active duty Sunday?

-HARBAUGH: “There’s a good chance there’ll be some new active guys on Sunday, yeah.

I send that message to some of our young guys, some of our inactive guys that the opportunity is coming. You say that every week to
them, ‘Be prepared, be prepared.’

You’d rather be prepared for your opportunity and have it not come than have your opportunity come and not be prepared.

To both those youngsters’ credit, and others, who have been working extremely hard for their opportunity and we feel good and excited that a couple of those youngsters will get that opportunity.

-Q: How ready are LaMichael James and A.J. Jenkins? Do you feel comfortable if
they are thrown in there?

-HARBAUGH: I totally… I know what you just asked, but I was so mesmerized and dazzled by your voice right there. You’ve got a great voice.

-Q: Thank you very much. How ready are Jenkins and James? Do you feel good about those guys?

-HARBAUGH: I do. I do. I do. I feel good about both those guys and a couple others that might get a shot as well.

Tim you only hear that because that is what you want to hear. I am not sure why you and so many others want to hear that Colin is the starter, but you apparently do.
Why in the world do you want to mess around with the chemistry of a winning team that has a legitimate shot at the super bowl? Alex and the receivers were clicking and getting better every week. The run game, which just about disappeared with Colin in there, is the best in the NFL.
Alex was rated third in QBR and first in completion percentage. Yes Colin will eventually take over the starting job, but now is not the time.
And it is my opinion that is Harbaugh plays this game of ‘we have two starting QB’s’ much longer he will destroy the chemistry that he helped to build.
He stood by Alex for two years and now just because Colin has two adequate performances, yes I said adequate, (primarily major defensive victories) and all of a sudden Alex is booted to the curb, mainly by the media and fans. This is the same game that was played when Nolan and Singletary were here and how did that work out?
The longer this goes on the more I am loosing respect for Harbaugh, he should know better. He can talk about having two starting QB’s all he wants, but he never did that while coaching college and it was not done to him when he was a QB.
That is one position where stability must reside and right now the 49ers do not have it.

BigBrad184

Who did Harbaugh say has a great voice?

dj

I am sure the egomaniac aka JH is proud of himself and his work

This QB back-and-forth is all about JH and his ego. Things have gone smoothly for JH since his arrival so why not fool around with the media, players, or whatever

I did not see anything different yesterday with Kaep under center. The bootlegs did not work. Did Kaep throw long bombs? The Saints D was good yesterday.

but hey whatever help inflate the ego is fine if they keep winning. JH’s name will be the news constantly now with this supposed QB controversy. It just proves to the football world what a genius JH really is ! The central theme is JH can win with anybody.

Common Sense

which QB, Alex or Colin, would you take if the draft were held tomorrow, only these two were available, and you had the pick?

yaheem

I think Alex starts on Sunday, he wasn’t deemed healthy enough the last two weeks to start but now he is ready to go. But Kap is showing things in two starts that took Smith 6 years to be able to do. I don’t get what the big deal is about the defense, those guys come out and dominate every weekend. This is the same defense that makes the Niners mediocre offense look adequate. When Harbaugh came on board he was the best thing to happen to the 49ers in a very long time, I will agree with his decision no matter what. Him and Baalke have earned it with the last year and half of football decisions. Just as how Sabean and Bochy have earned goodwill with the decisions they have made these past few years. If Harbaugh starts Smith fine, same with Kaepernick, I don’t care who is playing as long as we win. In Harbaugh we Trust? I guess us fans are better at making professional sports decisions.

yaheem

Common sense says Alex would be drafted first because of his experience and he deserves it. Absolutely, no question about it.

GP

I think this is a move in preparation for March 31, 2013, the day before the rest of Alex’s 2nd year salary guarantee kicks in. The last two weeks have been an audition for Kap. Alex starts for the rest of the season. If he doesn’t perform to Niner Management expectations (Super Bowl appearance minimum?), Alex gets cut, the Niners save about 16 million and they have a starter ready to go in 2013. Alex performs, the contract gets guaranteed and Kap gets traded to a team who needs a starting QB for a pick.

Adam

Remember how dumb we all thought Singletary was for saying QB was just ‘1 of 11’.

SK71

The ‘great voice’ was John Henry Smith of CSNBA.

Teee

Yea I would draft someone that had 2 season of solid starts over someone that only has 2 starts and isn’t playing better. If Kaep pulled a Matt Flyn last game and actually rallied against the Saints, hands down he would be the starter.

Aiden

I am wondering if he is not going to let Alex do a Trent Dilfer. Be the QB that wins the Niners their Superbowl, give him a ring as a golden handshake for all he has done and all the sacrifices he made for the franchise, then move on with Kaepernick next season. Alex will find a starting job somewhere in the league and if not, he will backup a very good quarterback.

stevewayne23

It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that it’s all about who can beat the NY Giants. I think Harbaugh feels all roads to the Super Bowl will lead through the Giants, and look what happened the first time this year the two teams played, as well as the NFC Championship game last year. That will be you answer, and I believe he thinks it’s Colin Kaepernick.

Nick

GP I think your comments are pretty spot on, except I don’t think I see the 49ers trading Keap next year under any conditions. Even a Super Bowl win with Alex as the MVP and Keap would probably still be a lock to stay with the 49ers.

HilariousFans

If Alex Smith is as good as his fanboys insist, why in the world would Kaepernick be the future? Smith is only 3 years older than Kaepernick. He’s only 28.

If Alex is all that and a bag of chips, why not trade Kaepernick and start The Great Alex Smith for the next 7-10 seasons?

Loyalty

JH better figure it out, as someone posted earlier, I am really losing respect for Harbaugh. You stick with Alex Smith! He has done nothing wrong and should not be benched.

For those of you that can’t conceptualize how screwed up this is – Imagine this. You get the flu for a week you’re out. You come back to work (yes Alex and Colin WORK TOGETHER) and your boss is telling you that he’s not sure if your responsibilities will be moved over to the person covering for you because he thought they did a better job doing your job?

Seriously??? You would be thinking WTF just happened here this is screwed up. And you haters don’t come in here saying it’s different because it’s not.

JH get it together. Play SMITH and make him LOSE his job if that is really what you’re fearful of, but if he plays and he WINS you respect him as a person and you leave him as your starter! If not – you have really taught me to hate a team I have been rooting for since I can remember. It’s about loyalty as well. There is nothing wrong with the offense with Alex in there.

Joe

To GP:

If Alex is the starting QB who plays well in a Superbowl victory this year, I actually think CK will be the more likely one to get traded and here’s why: Alex’s trade value doesn’t appear to be as high as CK’s. Too many people around the league view him as a game manager type and may be willing to offer a 2nd or 3rd round pick for him. Besides, I supposed they will need to assume his contract for the next 2 years at something like 16MM guaranteed (correct me if I’m wrong). If the teams trading for Alex can’t get him to agree to re-negotiate the contract to a longer term and to spread out guaranteed money, they may want to fork over draft pick to get Alex with higher amount of guaranteed $ with a short contract term.

On the other hand, CK is still on his rookie contract that pays him under 1MM a year. 49ers can potentially ask for a 1st round pick for him — imagine KC wants CK and gives the 49ers their high 1st round pick, and team will still think they get great value in the deal.

Of course in a perfect world 49ers will like to have both CK and Alex on the team with CK being the starter and Alex being probably the best back up in the league, but I doubt Alex wants to stick around as he should see the writing on the wall and no matter how great he plays he won’t get to win the starting job and wants out. And he will make sure the 49ers management know that he won’t be Mr. Nice Guy anymore and be content with being a back up when he’s in his prime.

So the 49ers can 1) cut Alex on April 1 and pay him $1MM to say good bye and get nothing in return. 2) trade Alex by then to get a 2nd or 3rd pick 3) trade CK and get a potential high 1st round pick. Some may say CK is the real deal and it’d be crazy for the 49ers to trade him. If he’s indeed the real deal, it means the 49ers will need to pay him big $$$ in no less than 2 years and you bet CK will want a LOT more than what the 49ers are paying Alex the next 2 years. And will the 49ers cave in to pay CK big $$? Will see…

Niners in 2012

Alex Smith will be out of the league by the time Kap gets his first big pay day.

Loyalty? LOL!

Loyalty? You should of stopped being a Niner Fan a long time ago if you don’t recall how loyal Bill Walsh was to Ronnie Lott or how loyal the Niners were to The great Joe Montana. Bill Walsh was a mastermind because he took “emotion” out of his decision making; something Harbaugh is adopting as well. Can you say that you have no respect for Bill Walsh? This is a football decision that has to be made now than later. And Kaep has always been his guy!

fanfor life

Did you Alex believers actually watch the game? I cannot believe
ANY knowledgeable [vs emotional] fan could possibly believe
Alex is as talented as Kap—
Kap had NO SACKS, Alex would have been sacked several times.
If Alex’ first option is not open he panicks, been doing it his entire
career which is why JH limits him to short quick passes. Alex cannot
buy time–
Next, long passes 20+ yards–no comparison–Kap in two games
has half as many as Alex in 9 games. The two passes to Walker
yesterday–not a chance by Alex.
Next, Ability to run–do we need to discuss?
ANYONE who thinks Alex is better based on ability does not know
football!!
Sorry Alex lovers but the 9ers have been winning DESPITE Alex,
not because of Alex–
I am delighted that we finally have a super bowl capable QB–

LovetheNiners

Anyone who thinks the 49ers would consider trading Kap must be smoking some powerful medicine. Listen the Alex fans point to his record, and then say its not fair because he worked so hard to become an adequate quarterback. The problem is math. Kap has completed more down field completions in two games than Smith has down the entire season!! Smith throw to his check down receiver constantly except when his Tight End is 1 on 1. He just in his last three games finally started to hit the slant to Crabtree after failing at it over and over! Kap has utilized all the weapons the Niners have with strong accuracy and using his legs and arms to create openings, something Alex has never done nor could he. So it all comes down to emotion (crybabies for Alex led by Alex) versus analytics. Sadly Harbaugh is under threat of having a divided clubhouse because of this so I think he folds and puts the game manager Alex back in knowing he will be cut in the spring! Meanwhile he will sneak Kap in to try and win us a Superbowl! Obviously I am sick of the whole thing and I just want my Niners to win, even with Alex at the helm (whom I personally feel is a lesser QB and should be a back up)! I will cheer him if he can lead the team as his diehard personal fans think. NINERS ALL THE WAY!

yes sir

There are some big league idiots on this blog, still supporting Alex Smith? Did you fools even watch the last two games?

This team isn’t going to the Super Bowl with Alex Smith. Not gonna happen. The past two games the 49er 3rd down conversion percentage has been the two best games in TWO YEARS. What does that tell you?

Joe Montana lost his job to injury to Steve Young. Tom Brady won his job due to injury to Bledsoe. This stuff happens all the time. That Alex got hurt is NO reason to reinstall him the starter. Why choose to put your lesser team on the field just to pacify your mediocre former starter in #11?

Harbaugh isn’t stupid. He isn’t going to put an inferior team on the field just to pacify Alex and his delusional fans.

LovetheNiners

To ‘yes sir’ all I can say is amen, you nailed it!!!!

Mano de Nada

So last preseason Alex Smith was a free agent coming off the best season of his career, and there was nearly zero interest in him around the league; just a quick trip to MIA.

There’s no doubt who you’d draft first today; you’d take the better, younger arm, the player with more upside.

Remember, it’s taken Alex like seven seasons to learn how to perform solidly, if not quite heroically. It’s taken CK two games to outplay one of the best QBs in the league.

DAMN emo kids – Alex is STILL GETTING PAID! He didn’t lose his job per se, just somebody new is around, doing his old work better.

Worse situations to be in than getting $8 million to take stats bless! Somebody throw me under that bus please!!

EastBayMark

Ck has done things in 2 games that Alex can’t do….and that is make the proper reads and throw to the 2nd and 3rd on a string. Alex is better then CK…for now, but Ck’s upside is top 5ish down the road. He has all the tangibles that most NFL average QB’s do not have. Just because he has the talent, now does he have the drive, to get better, day after day. That is what we get to watch…..if CK stays on track and healthy, Alex may have started his last game for the 9ers. Now we need a good draft if Johnson is not a potential starter for a no. 2 next year. Now, the question is can CK carry us into the playoffs……JH and time will tell. Grab a beer this will be a fun side show to watch.

JD

Alex Smith is mediocre on the road. I think he could handle the Rams in St. Louis, but one of the worst stadiums he performs in is Seattle. Hopefully, he’ll be replaced by that game, if they give him a pity start. But it’s obvious that CK is the future starter, so why not just keep him at that position.
For trade value, it’s best that they just bench Alex so he can be judged for his 20-5-1 record with that unbelievably high completion rate he had the past few games. The Niners could get some decent draft picks for him from teams like Kansas City.

oldmanniner

Which QB leads the entire NFL in air yards per attempt? (Doesn’t count yards after catch, just where the guy caught the ball.) I’ll give you his initials: CK. Yep, over Brady, Rogers, etc.
CK had some good plays called back by holding calls which would have made his lead in this stat even greater.

buckaroo

It is already clear the way this is going to go. After an NFC championship game season, Harbaugh met with Manning and the 9ers gave Smith a one year deal with an out. Harbaugh little cares about how much they have to pay either quarterback. Harbaugh cares about being the greatest coach ever and thoroughly knows how important the best possible quarterback is to that goal.
So:
1. Kapernick has more talent, the arm, the legs and a great college resume – he will be the quarterback.
2. Smith – can thank Harbaugh for making him into a successful NFL quarterback and Smith will get a 3-5 yr deal worth 20-50M. Can you say Carson Palmer??? Look at the bottom tier of NFL starting qbacks.

Knight

I don’t think Harbaugh is lying or BSing… I believe he really will give Smith a chance to compete against Kaepernick. Sick Fangio’s top rated defense against both in practice and start who fares best. If the player plays well stick with him, if not start the other next and go from there. It’s probably gonna be Kaepernick and Harbaugh probably already knows that but I believe he will give Smith a chance to keep his job. Oh Tim, always the perpetual pessimist but we love you anyway.

Some of you poster’s here sounds Pathetic. Harbaugh is already telling you fools and to you tim, that his his starting Qb is Alex Smith. Put that on your comments after tomorrow. Tim thats how you wanted to hear, when were you always right tim? Probably 2 out 10 you are wrong..

ttime

One factor that I have not seen mentioned that often is that CK7 seems to have a better relationship or impact with the overall team. He was one of the first players to congratulate Brooks for his pick 6, while Alex seemed a bit distant. Alex did not even celebrate or smile when the team put up the first points with CK7’s run. Although I do understand his disappointment, his lack of enthusiasm could be a sign of “me first” over what’s “best for the team.”

Scott

I hope this is a tactician at work and he isn’t just trying to confuse the hell out of us all. If so, he certainly is accomplishing that.

Alex Smith was being protected by Harbaugh and the medical staff, Its better for A. Smith that he didn’t start against the Saints game , they gave him more time to heal from the concussion, I won’t be surprised he starts against the Rams, Smith owns the rams last season he beat the rams twice. If Ck was the starter harbaugh wouldv’e said already. I don’t think Harbaugh would jeopardized his quest in winning the SB. I don’t think theres anything anymore that harbaugh need to keep everyone in limbo, in who’s gonna be the Qb go forward this season. It Alex Smith you can bet it.

Leonard Bonilla

profootballfocus.com has compiled data that shows that Alex Smith is more likely to take a sack or throw a pass away then any other quarterback in the NFL. Kaepernick doesn’t have to do that because he can get out of trouble with with his legs and still make a play to convert a down. Alex Smith has a big down side, however, all you need to do to understand why Harbaugh is doing this is listen to Ray Ratto. It’s all about beating the NY Giants, This is the only team in the NFC that the 49ers haven’t beaten when it counted. Alex Smith failed to pull the NFC game out of the hat because he couldn’t convert any 3rd down situations. Had he done that the fumbles would probably have meant nothing.

This season he got trounced again and couldn’t convert 3rd down plays. Harbaugh believes that Kaepernick is his best chance to beat the NY Giants. Most likely the 49ers will have to play the Giants at some point in the playoffs. This is the whole reason we are being put through this mess.

Kaepernick can do everything Smith can do plus much more. Kaepernick is as good or better then Alex Smith right now and he has played only two full games. What does that tell you about Alex Smith? It tells me Alex has hit his celling.

Harbaugh has fumbled the ball no doubt but what is done is done and we have to move on. Harbaugh has to make the “BIG” decision this week. Is it Kaepernick for the rest of the season or Smith? Pick one Jim and be done with it.

FeatherRiverDan

I can’t argue with anything Harbaugh has done since becoming the head coach…
He took this team from the cellar and Alex too…
Who are these people that question him jealous I guess…..

Tim, here’s 1 for you. With the 49ers defense, even Scott Tolzien at the helm the niners will Win.

Mano de Nada

Hey Ricky, here’s one for you. Even with Alex Smith at QB last season, the 9ers D couldn’t get past NYG or win a Super Bowl.

Francisco

Q4 and OT last year vs. Giants Alex could not move the ball. It almost looked pathetic. He just was not able to get anything. The game could have been in OT for several quarters and it felt Alex will not get another first down ever again.
Colin has accuracy, strenght, deep pass, patience, mobility, can convert third downs (even long ones), does not take sacks, runs better and with more purpose… This is not a competition. Hands down Colin is much better and probably has the skills to be a top 5 QB in the NFL. Alex Smith is not even one of the top 15 QBs in the league and we will struggle to win with him at the help with a lesser defense.
The defense will not be this good forever. We need to go with Colin K. now to give us a decent Super Bowl chance.

Francisco

One more thing. Hunter is injured for the year. Gore can not have all the carries. Dixon fumbles. Jacobs is not quick. We will need to pass more and sorry, Alex is not able to run a predominatly passing offense vs. a good defense. Case should be closed.